A field trip involving students and their professors tragically concluded on Saturday when their bus was involved in a crash in western Colombia, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 11 injuries, as confirmed by their university. A preliminary investigation indicates that the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, which was transporting 26 passengers from Tolima to Quindio.
According to police commander Luis Fernando Atuesta, several individuals were ejected from the bus when it collided with the barrier on the side of the Helicoil Bridge in the Quindio region. “Several passengers were ejected and fell into the abyss,” the officer stated, adding that investigations are underway to “establish the conditions of this unfortunate accident.” Humboldt University in the Colombian city of Armenia issued a statement declaring two days of mourning following “the painful loss of several of our colleagues, students, professors and administrators” in the accident. University director Diego Fernando Jaramillo Lopez confirmed in a video that the bus was carrying “22 students, two teachers and a communications officer.”
Road accidents are a leading cause of death in Colombia, with the national highway authority reporting an average of 22 traffic fatalities per day in 2024.
